5 outfits to bring you out of lockdown stylishly

You may still be living in joggers, activewear and anything else that is comfy, but the end is in sight and how are you going to dress as lockdown starts easing? Little did we know a year ago that we would still be in a lockdown but at least this time there’s a bit more hope on the horizon, so now is the time to start planning what you will be wearing in the coming weeks when you diary will finally be filling up.

There are many things we have all missed out on over the past year but in the coming weeks the temperature will increase, Spring has truly sprung with the evenings getting lighter so there will be more of a need to start re-wearing items in your wardrobe. So I have put together 5 outfits for possible things that you might be looking forward to doing (not just trips to the supermarket), things that perhaps 2 years ago were just part of our normal lives but now are slightly unsure of how to dress for them now.

It’s ok to feel anxious about coming out of lockdown, whether it’s worrying about what to wear, how to dress appropriately and how to get inspired about clothes again. Take a good look at what you have in your wardrobe, assess what you have, try things on and get to know your clothes again, this way you will understand whether you need to add some bits in to make new outfits or not. If you feel that lockdown has pulled you into a style rut, I hope these outfits give you some inspiration but if you need more help then please do email me for a chat.

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SITTING IN A FRIENDS GARDEN

Check shacket Bershka, £45.99

Faux leather joggers, H&M, £19.99

Navy jumper, M&S, £19.50

Nike Internationalist trainers, ASOS, £79.95

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PUB GARDEN LUNCH WITH YOUR FAMILY

Paperbag waist jeans, Reiss, £50 (sale price)

Herringbone blazer, Jigsaw, £110 (sale price)

Sweatshirt, H&M, £12.99

Navy cap, ASOS, £19

Mulberry bag, John Lewis, £895

Nike air force 1 trainers, Office, £89.99

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GOING TO THE SHOPS

Khaki trousers, Whistles, £79

Stripe jumper, Monki, ASOS £30.00

Linen shirt, Zara, £27.99

Veja trainers, The Dressing Room, £105

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GOING TO THE HAIRDRESSERS/BEAUTICIANS

Gingham blouse, Mango, £35.99

Black denim dungarees, Boden, £98.00

Pink bag, Marc Jacobs snapshot bag, Farfetch, £389

Nike air force 1 trainers, Office, £94.99

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BRUNCH WITH A FRIEND

Acid wash jeans, River Island, £42.00

Stripe t-shirt, Boden, £38.00

Red belt, Russell & Bromley, £95.00

Converse high tops, John Lewis, £57.00

Oversized trench, COS, £150

My Spring Fashion Fix

Back in Autumn I had challenged myself to update my transitional Autumn wardrobe with 5 new pieces, using my Fashion Fix service. Identifying key items that I wanted and needed to transition from Summer into Autumn and when I look back now those items I brought have been worn time and time again and I will continue to wear again this Spring. Now it’s Spring and I have repeated the same challenge (admittedly I have gone 1 over by buying 6 items), to introduce into my wardrobe and style in the coming weeks.

Now is such a great time to reassess what you have in your wardrobe mainly because we are changing seasons but also because we are starting to come out of lockdown. For a whole year now there had been no need for anything but comfy outfits or outfits to walk in, but like a butterfly we will all start emerging and utilising more of our wardrobe when we do. Take some time out to pop your Winter jumpers away so you can really see what you have in your wardrobe that you are going to wear in the coming weeks. This gives you a chance to detox what has perhaps been sitting there for months and gets you thinking about some newness you my need.

As there is still alot of uncertainty about re-emerging right now you might not need alot of new pieces which is why my Fashion fix of 5 pieces to update your wardrobe is a great fill in for your style needs. Let me inspire you by showing you what I have brought and how I have been styling the new pieces.

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My 6 Spring items to update my wardrobe

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1. STRIPE JUMPER - ZARA, £29.99

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2. CHECK DRESS - &OTHER STORIES, £95

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3. GINGHAM BLOUSE - MANGO, £35.99

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4. FAUX LEATHER JOGGERS - H&M, £19.99

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5. CHUNKY WHITE TRAINERS - URBAN OUTFITTERS, NEW BALANCE, £80

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6. STRIPE SHIRT - ZARA, £27.99

The check dress will rule this Spring

Check dress are here to stay.

The last 12 months have proved a struggle to wear anything but loungewear, joggers, hoodies or activewear. Lots of women I know haven’t worn a dress the entire time, even in the Summer months so the thought of ‘dressing up’ in a dress might be either scary or exciting now that we are easing out of lockdown. I love wearing dresses, they are easy to throw on, versatile and can also brighten my day as what we wear has an impact in the way that we feel. I think with the easing of lockdown we will rediscover the joy of getting dressed again, projecting a more happier outlook with what we wear.

Check dress from &Other Stories - Tiered puff sleeve midi dress - £95

So if you want to buy a dress that makes you feel good and look stylish then start with looking at check prints. Whether you love a bold plaid or prefer a sunnier picnic blanket-inspired pattern, checks in all their guises are very much making a mark this season. From perfect smock dresses with equally on trend statement sleeves and oversized collars to neater more streamlined options and grunge-inspired shirt dresses, checks are making their mark for Spring 2021 after gathering some momentum last year through Scandinavian retailer Ganni.

Check dress from Ganni, see similar here - Seersucker check maxi dress - £215

So as the first day of Spring is just around the corner (20th March), now is the time to start whimsically daydreaming about shedding the Winter layers and revisiting the dresses that have been forgotten about in your wardrobe. But make sure you leave a small space in your wardrobe for a check dress, shop my picks below.

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Check dresses to buy now

1. Ghospell sleeveless check dress, £89.00, ASOS

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2. Ganni seersucker check mini dress, £175

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3. Molby the Label pink & red check Tilda dress, £110

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4. Sleeper Altanta Linen red gingham dress, £230, Browns

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5. Warehouse gingham check dress, £49

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6. Nobody’s Child Apricot textured check Isabelle dress, £39

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7. Kitri Tracy midi check dress, £175

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How to fall back in love with your clothes again post lockdown

I am writing this a few days after the governments announcement of dates that will see us slowly but surely start regaining our pre-covid lives again. But what of our wardrobe and our style that have been somewhat neglected over the past few weeks, months or for some even a whole year. Lockdown has pushed everyone into a sense of comfort over style, joggers over jeans and walking boots over knee high white crocodile leather boots (yes they are a thing!).

So how you do fall back in love with the things you have gathering dust in your wardrobe?

Alot of friends and clients that have been in touch or I have caught up with for walks over the weeks have said to me that they haven’t brought a lot during lockdown as they haven’t seen the point of it. Now that we have some dates to go out again and start to get our social lives back, suddenly getting into your tracksuit every day doesn’t seem so appealing. But some of those pieces that we have been neglecting might have emotional pre-covid ties to them that we perhaps need to re-establish to get us to start thinking about wearing it again. So it’s time to step back into your wardrobe and start feeling your self again, follow my tips on how to fall back in love with your clothes and if this doesn’t work then call me for my help.

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1. Step out of your comfort zone

   For weeks we have been gravitating towards the same combinations of leggings / joggers / tracksuits / sweaters / hoodies but now is the time to step away from this comfort zone and push yourself back into the groove of your pre-covid style. Try challenging yourself to wear a certain item like a skirt, a pair of jeans or even a shirt that you haven’t worn for ages and see how it makes you feel. Think about the styling, add a belt, tuck it in, layer up a sweater or blazer over the top. Slowly but surely you and your confidence will start to come back to life.

2. Re-acquaint yourself with your wardrobe again

   Hello jeans, hello blazers, hello nice jumpers I have been ignoring for months. Open your wardrobe and start to remind yourself of what you have inside. Now is a great time to reassess and detox your wardrobe. Perhaps you have fallen out of love with some pieces, some items might not feel good anymore, or have holes in due to over-wearing so need to be chucked out. But you might find a favourite top that you completely forgot about and get excited about wearing again. Clearing through the clutter that might of built up or been ignored whilst we have been in lockdown will give you a chance to see cleared and put outfits together better.

3. Try your clothes on

   Now that you’ve had time away from your wardrobe it is best to have a big try on, what fits, what doesn’t, what do you like, what don’t you like anymore? And make some piles and try to figure out why you clothes are going into the piles you have created. This will give you a clear picture of what you have, what you like and what you are missing to make your wardrobe work better for you post-lockdown.

4. Mix pieces together you haven’t worn before

   You will probably remember wearing jeans and a nice top, or jeans and a jumper or a skirt and t-shirt with trainers, before we went into lockdown. Now with what you have left mix it up a bit, try some new styling ideas by mixing some items together that you have never worn before. The key to this tip is to make sure to focus on the unexpected part as much as possible. Pair special occasion skirts with trainers, boyfriend jeans with a sequin top, or opulent shirts underneath dungarees. Some of this will work for your taste and some might not, but the important thing is that when you're doing this exercise, you'll be opening your mind to out-of-box ideas you might not have felt comfortable considering before.

5. Try the 30 day challenge

   Lastly before you start spending every evening on the Zara app buying anything you think is nice, consider taking 30 days to live back in your wardrobe before you buy anything new. This transitional period between kids starting to go back to school, 12th April when the shops open and finally 21st June is a gift of time to allow you to really re-asses what you have, what you want you style to be and make the best shopping choices for your money for 2021.

Everyone has days when they seem to hate every item of clothing they own — days when nothing seems to work quite right. But sometimes making your wardrobe work is as simple as forcing yourself out of your comfort zone and spending time looking at what you currently already own. Even if it's not the easiest task it will change your perspective on your clothes and style in the coming weeks. I know already that some clients need my help with this as it can seem overwhelming and that is why I am here to help if you cannot do it on your own. Please get in touch and book a wardrobe and styling session so we can utilise what you have in your wardrobe before you start buying anything new for Spring.